Monday, 30 April 2018

Lagos Validates Policy To Boost Human Resource In Health Sector

By Chioma Umeha

Lagos State government has validated the
Human Resource for Health (HRH) Strategic Plan and Task Shifting Task Sharing
(TSTS) Policy for the State which is meant to address dearth of human resources
in health sector.The document which is a five-year
implementation framework was developed by the State in partnership with Save
the Children (SCI); Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative 2 (NURHI2)
and fhi360.Dr. Jide Idris, the state Commissioner of
Health, who commended the development noted in his address that the new
framework will ensure adequate delivery of quality healthcare services in the
State.According to him, Lagos State has recognised
the central and strategic role of the health workforce in the provision of the
required manpower for the delivery.The commissioner who was represented by
Moyosore Adejumo, the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, said: “This supports
the state in achieving its health goal aimed at the provision of quality
healthcare that is equitably accessible, effective, efficient and affordable.“Clients would not be
turned away. On the other side of the coin, those professionals would be better
enabled by virtue of the fact that they will not be overwhelmed by so many
patients who want to see the core professionals.“Some of those duties or
responsibilities can be shared so that the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
laboratory scientists will not be overwhelmed,” she said.Dr Opeyemi Odedere, Save
the Children representative, told INDEPENDENT that the five-year plan has articulated activities and
generated indicators that would be monitored based on implementation strategy
for the HRH policy of the State.Odedere said; “The plan
demonstrates the commitment of the state in ensuring an enabling environment
for the future pool of health workers in the state. This would eventually
strengthen the current health work force.“These will support the
achievement of health outcomes as well as other health reform initiatives by
the state government.”He added that
TSTS was conceived as a result of shortages in human resources and inadequate
skill distribution within the health system.Similarly, Dr. Edun
Omasanjuwa, representative of NURHI 2, described the TSTS as a policy that
ensures that there is enough human resource to go around; to provide the
essential services that are required at the facility level in such a way that
client and patients are able to access essential primary healthcare services
regardless of whether the primary provider of that services is available.“If a superior officer is
not available at the time of needs, the sub cadre or junior officer staff can
provide that services that they have been adequately trained, monitored and
certified to provide under supervision,” Omasanjuwa said.Akaoma Onyemelukwe, a
lead consultant to the project, said: “Today we had to validate the HRS
strategic plan which is a five year implementation plan that translates what
were the findings from the situation analysis into action.“This strategic plan can
only work if it is well resourced and if the investment on HRH is increased in
terms of budgetary and non-budgetary allocations and funding.“This plan actually talks
about eight priority areas. One of which is communications and connectivity in
the HRH which is the information system for human resources and also the
workforce plan which is the bane of the plan,” she explained.

Mrs. Chioma Adanma Umeha is a journalist of over two decades experience. At the moment, she is the Health Editor of Newswatch Times, Lagos, Nigeria.
A graduate of Mass Communications from Anambra State University, Enugu, she also holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.

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About Me

Mrs. Chioma Adanma Umeha is a journalist of over two decades experience. At the moment, she is the Health Editor of Newswatch Times, Lagos, Nigeria.
A graduate of Mass Communications from Anambra State University, Enugu, she also holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.